Thursday, September 28, 2006

The supreme court has mandated sweeping police reforms while disposing off the Prakash Singh public interest suit. The Court has said that public order should be separated from crime detection. The key portions of the verdict are:

State Security Commission will be set up in every state, and National Security Commission at the Centre. The state commissions will have the Chief Minister or Home Minister as the Chairman, the DGP as the Ex-Officio Secretary, a member of the opposition, a judge and eminent non-political members of the civil society.

The National Security Commission will follow similar procedure for central police organizations.

The tenure of top police officers from the rank of SP upwards will be fixed for a minimum of two years.

A Police Establishment Board will be created under the DGP of every state to appoint and transfer all officers below the level of SP.

Scientific research will be introduced to enhance crime detection

A Police Complaint Authority under a retired Supreme Court or High Court judge will be created in every district to hear public complaints against cops up to the rank of DSP. Its recommendations will be binding.